Cotton press centering and retaining device



Feb. 16, 1932. v w L. HANCOCK COTTON PRESS CENTERING AND RETAININGDEVICE Filed April 30, 1928 ZSheets-Sheet l mentor,

Feb. 16, 1932. w. 1.. HANCOCK COTTON PRESS CENTERING AND RETAININGDEVICE Filed April so, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 16, 1932 os-TArEs PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM L. HANCOCK, or DALLAsQTEXAs, As'srciion"To Ernn MURRA CQMPANY, or

DALLAS, TEXAS, A CORPORATION or TEXAS common rnnss GENTERING ANDRETAINING- nnvIcE I Application filed April 30,

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in cotton presscentering and retaining devices.

The invention the double box type of cotton press commonly used in ginhouses for forming the ginned cotton into bales.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a box retaining andcentering device which will be entirely free from connection with theplatform, thus having the advantage of being out of the way of theoperators and reducing the hazard of accidents, as well as saving labor.a

A particular object of the invention is to provide a device mounted onthe press frame instead of on the platform and adjacent floor, andlocated to be engaged with the press box for locking said box and theplatform against rotation as well'as centering the box under the topplaten. A

A further object of the invention is toprovide a box-centering andretainingdevice arranged so that when engaged with the box, to co-actwith the press frame in sustaining the upward thrust contributed to thebox by the ram and lower platen, whereby a more symmetrical bale isformed, cantingof the centrally pivoted platform and the press box iseliminated; and also whereby the press box is held down and its spacedrelationfrom the top platen is maintained, thus obviating the danger ofcatching the workmans fingers therebetween. 1

Advantages of the invention are to befound in the general stability ofthe device and the elimination of warping and distorting strains Iduring the pressing action, as well as the the convenience of operationand location, together with the positive locking of the device wherebyit cannot be unlocked by the upward thrust of the ram and therequirement that the box be in an exact predetermined position before itcan be locked, thus making'for automatic centering.

A "construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafterdescribed, to-

gether with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of thefollowingspecihas particularly to do with 19a. Serial No. 274,031.

fic'ation and by reference to the accompanying A -drawin 2;, in which anexample of the invention is shown andwherein:

Fig. 1 1821 view-1n elevation showing a deviceconstructed in accordancewith my 1nvention and mounted on one end of acotton press form,

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the. line 22 of F ig.'-1,the box being locked,

' Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 2, certain parts being in elevationand the box being unlocked,

Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a detail of the-locking block, Fig. 6 is a horizontalcross-sectional'view showing a portion of the platform and press boxwith the centering andretaining device,

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 7.7 ofFig. 2. V

In the drawings the numeral 10 designates the channel upright of acotton press frame and 11 the top platen channels which are braced by abracket 12 secured to the inner side of theupright as is shown in Figs.1 and i 2. The channels 11 have suspended therefrom the top platen 13under which the press box 14: is centered. The, box is secured in oneside of the circularplatform 15, therebeing two boxes to a platform. o

Each box has a transverse channel sill 16 across one end at the bottomof the end door and when the platform is rotated this sill is broughtadjacentthe upright 10. In the central portion of'each sill-is secured ablock 17" having an outwardly curved transverse boss 18, the upper sideof which formsa seat. Guide wings 19 are formed on the block' at eachend of the boss. 1

The block is invertible and in order posi tion the boss at the desiredheight, shims 20 are inserted between the top and bottom of the blockand the flanges of the silland held 'by set screws 21. 'By removing theupper shim and adjusting the screws the block may device are mounted onthe upright 10. strut channel 22 is pivoted at its upper end upon ashort shaft or pintle 23 journaled in side of the channel upright. Apair of spaced set screws 29 mounted in the upper edge of the head blockbear against the bracket 12,

thus protecting the bolts from shearing.

The strut 22 has its channel side toward the upright and a bowed leafspring 30, having its upper end secured to the upper portion of thestrut within the channel, engages the upright and acts to swing thestruttoward the box from said upright.

' Near the lower end: of the strut a pintle 31 extends through theflanges and has keyed thereon external links 32. The lower ends 'ofthelinks are pivoted to outwardly bent yoke bars 33 by a cross bolt 34. Thebars 33 straddle the upright and are pivoted at their outer ends on arock shaft 35 journaled in the flanges of the upright 10.

' 'When in locking position the inner ends '7 of the yoke bars 33 restupon the seat formed by the boss 18 and adjacentthe side wings pintles23 and 31, are large enough to permit a slight longitudinal movement ofthe strut, whereby its upper end may engage the abutment26 and the bolt34, may engage its lower end upon an upward thrust of the box. Theseparts normally have just a passing clearance so that only a slightmovement of the strut is necessary.

It will be seen that with the parts in their locked position, the box iscentered under the top platen 13 and the box is also braced I againstthe upward thrust of the ram. The

platform 15 is also held against rotation.

To swing the parts into their locked and unlocked positions a hand lever36 is centrally fastened on the shaft 35 by a coupling 37. A pitman 38has one end pivoted to a bolt 39 mounted in the strut (F ig; 4) and theother end pivoted on a bolt 41 passing through the lever. The pitmanextends through a slot 40 in theupright.

' to the bolt 41 and has a finger 43 extending at right angles near itsfree end and resting upon the pitman when the lever is pulled outward-1y, whereby the free end of the latch is held in A latch 42 is pivotedengagement with the upright and the lever so maintained.

When it is desired to unlock the box the lever is pulled outward fromthe position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in F ig. 3. The latch42 will drop from the upright position in Fig. 2 to the horizontalposition shown in Fig. 3, where the finger 43 supports it. The outwardswing of the lever will pull the pitman 38, which will first break thetoggle joint and then swing the strut against the upright 10.

As the strut swings toward the upright, the

links 32 willbe swung on the pintle 31 and thus exert a pull on the bolt34, whereby the .yokebars will-be carried upwardlyand their inner endsraised from the seat on the boss 18 of the block 17. Referring to Fig.3, it will be'seen that the yoke bars are sufliciently elevated topermit the wings 19 to freely pass' thereunder, so that the platform 15and the box 14 may be rotated with ample clearance.

Before the retaining device can be engaged with the seat of the block17, the box 14 must be centered under the top platen 13. This is animportant point as the workman must bring the platform and the box tothe proper point, before the yoke bars 33 can be dropped between thewings 19 and seated- The sill 16 of each box is,'of course, providedwith a block 17 and bymeans of the shims 20, each block can be adjustedto the proper height to seat the bars on the'boss 18, when the toggle issprungf Because the latch42 will retain the parts in the unlockedposition (Fig. 3) until the box is centered, the workman is notrequiredto hold the lever'36, while the box is being centered. The spring 30being compressed will aid in swinging the strut to lock the box, whenthe latch 42 is raised to release the lever. The stability of the lock,whereby the strut 22 and block 25 sustain the upward thrust, is afeature making long life of the press, as well as aiding in maintainingthe parts in first class.v

working order.

Various changes in the size and shape of the different parts, as wellas, modifications and alterations, may be made within the scope of theappended claims.

What Iclaim, is: v

1. In a cotton press centering and retaining device, a head block, astrut pivoted at its upper end to the head block, a pair of linkspivoted to the lower end of the strut, a pair 1 of yoke arms pivoted tothe links, a pivotal support for the said arms, an operating lever, anda pitman connecting the lever with the strut. I

2. In a cotton press centering and retainsupport for the said arms, anoperating lever,

w ing device, the combination with the press frame and boxes, of a headblock adjustably mounted on the frame, set screws on the upper end ofthe block engaging the frame for taking the upward thrust of said body,a strut having its upper end pivoted to said hanging the upper end ofthe strut for taking the upward thrust of the strut, a seat block formounting on a press box, linked means for sustaining the lower end ofthe strut, and means for swingingthe strut and the linked means intoengagement with the seat block.

5. In a cotton press centering and retaining device, the combinationwith the upright of the press frame and the boxes, of a strut pivoted atits upper end to the upright of said frame, a leaf spring carried by thestrut and engaging the upright, a rock shaft journaled in the lowerportion of the upright, an oper- 3 ating lever mounted on said shaft onthe outside of said upright, a pitman pivoted to said lever andextending through the upright and also pivoted to the strut, a pair ofyoke bars mounted on the rock shaft and straddling the upright, a pairof links connecting the lower end of the strut with the inner ends ofthe bars, and a seat block fastened on the sill of the adjacent pressbox and engaged by the yoke bars.

6. As a sub-combination in a press box centering and retaining device, ablock having a longitudinal seat and a retaining wing at each end of theseat extending outwardly therefrom and at an angle thereto, and means 4for securing said block to the vertical end of a press box.

7 In a cotton press centering and retaining device, the combination withthe press boxes, of a seat block carried on one vertical end of eachbox, a locking and centering member mounted on the press frame, meansfor moving the member into and out of engagement with the block, andmeans for adjusting the block on each box to position it to be engagedby the locking member when the box is centered under the press platen.

' 8. In a cotton press centering and retaining device, the combinationwith the rotary press boxes, of seats aflixed to the outer ends of theboxes, and locking means including a rigid thrust member pivoted on thepress frame and movable successively into locking engagement with theseats, whereby the press boxes are fastened against rotation, the seats65 being located above the ram of the press,

thereof, a vertical thrust member pivoted at block, said block having anabutment overwhereby the locking thrust member sustains the upwardthrust of the ram and the box prevented from tilting. V 9. A cottonpress centering and retaining device as set forth in claim 8, with anupright lever for swinging the thrust member to and from the seats, aconnection between the thrust member and thelever, and means separatefrom the lever for. fastening the thrust member out of the path of theseats.

10. In a cotton press centering and retaining device, the combinationwith the rotating press boxes, of seats afiixed to the outer verticalendsof the boxes below the end doors its upper end to the press frame, aswinging support for the lower end of the member, an operating lever,and a connection between the lever and the member for swinging the lowerend of the member to and from the seat.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature.

WILLIAM L. HANCOCK.

